Page 1313 - Politics
Punjab Police bust espionage ring, one arrested
The Punjab Police's intelligence wing has busted an espionage ring in the state with the arrest of a Military Engineering Services employee posted in the crucial Jalandhar cantonment, a police spokesman said here on Friday.
Poll code: Over 63,000 public hoardings, banner and posters removed in Delhi
More than 63,000 public hoardings, banners and posters carrying images of party leaders or any political references have been removed in the city in accordance with the model code of conduct for the general elections, officials said Friday. The Election Commission had announced the schedule for the polls on Sunday. The election is due on May 12 in Delhi. "In 72 hours from the time of announcement of election dates, 63,449 hoardings, banners and posters have been removed from various public places," according to data shared by the office of the Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Officials at the CEO office said, "As many as 30,533 such publicity material have been removed from areas falling in the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council." From areas under the three municipal corporations, the number of hoardings and other materials removed are -- North Corporation 4,945, South Corporation 22,419 and East Corporation 3,141, officials said. In areas falling under the Delhi ..
Poll code violation: TN orders enquiry on Rahul's interaction
Tamil Nadu government has ordered an enquiry on how a college here gave its nod for Congress President Rahul Gandhi to interact with its students when the Model Code of Conduct is in force. The top Congress leader, in his interaction with students of the Stella Maris College here on March 13, promised 33 per cent reservation in government jobs for women and answered several of their questions. The Director of Collegiate Education, R Sarumathi directed a subordinate official to enquire "immediately" on the matter and submit a report, official sources told PTI. In a communique (dated March 14) to the Regional Joint Director, Chennai Zone, the director pointed out that in view of the Lok Sabha elections the MCC was in force and under such circumstances sought to know "how permission was granted" by the college for the event. Sources said Stella Maris is one of the 10 government aided colleges in Chennai. Such institutions are not only bound by State norms, but are also ...
Ambedkar-Owaisi parties to contest all seats in Maharashtra
In a big setback to opposition unity efforts, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Friday announced candidates for 37 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Congress demoralised after losing 6 MLAs to TRS
With six MLAs crossing over to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the last 15 days, the opposition Congress party in Telangana looks demoralised ahead of next month's Lok Sabha elections.
Agatha to be NPP candidate for the Tura Lok Sabha seat
The National People's Party Friday announced that former Union Minister Agatha K Sangma and T Kikkin will be the party candidates for the Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya and Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency respectively. The NPP also announced that Ferlene C A Sangma will be the party candidate for the byelection of Selsella Assembly seat in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district. NPP national president and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma chaired the meeting of the central election committee of the party in Delhi which was attended by party leaders from various states in the NE region. "The central election committee of the NPP which had met today received applications from Tura and Outer Manipur seats. The committee has decided to declare the names of two candidates - former union minister Agatha K Sangma and former Manipur minister T Kipkin," the NPP president said in a video statement. He said Kipkin is a former minister and is the NPP Manipur unit ...
EC said it will remove PM's hoardings: Congress
The Congress on Friday said the Election Commission (EC) has issued directions for the removal of hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from railway stations, airports and petrol pumps, which were put up after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Return Tumkur seat to Cong if Gowda is not contesting: Parameshwara urges JD(S)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Friday said he has requested the JD(S) to return Tumkur seat to the Congress if former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is not contesting from the constituency. The development comes amid simmering discontent within the Congress's local leadership over ceding of Tumkur seat to the alliance partner. Parameshwara, who has held a series of meetings with the Congress and JD(S) leaders, however, said his party was fine if the latter fields Gowda from the seat. The seat is held by the Congress's S P Muddahanumegowda. "We have a sitting MP. In principle, during our screening committee meeting, we had made a resolution that all the 10 sitting MPs should be given (tickets). After that, during meetings between Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, Tumkur was given to them," the deputy chief minister said. Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said he had met Gowda and conveyed his request that the seat be given back to the ...
Cong, Pak & China don't want 'strong' PM like Modi: UP minister
Uttar Pradesh minister and Mathura legislator Shrikant Sharma has alleged that a few countries and the Opposition were hampering the progress of India. "Countries like Pakistan and China have virtually entered into an unholy alliance to check the growth of the country," the state power minister said at a public meeting here on Thursday evening. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleged that the same motive same was pursued by the Congress and the grand alliance. The Congress, Pakistan and China "does not want a strong" prime minister like Narendra Modi, and, instead, they want a "majboor sarkar (weak government) and not majboot (strong) sarkar", the minister alleged. Sharma claimed that under the leadership of Modi, sincere effort had been done for the first time to nip terrorism in the bud -- through airstrike and surgical strike. Corruption and terrorism had been the greatest hurdle in the development of the country, the minister said. To counter it, he said, the Modi ...
BJP-Sena alliance strong & impenetrable, says Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Friday said the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena was very strong and impenetrable. Fadnavis was addressing a rally in here ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders of both the parties were present. "The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is joining of hands of the Hindutva parties, which share a common ideology. It has stood the ground so far and will do so in future as well. Yeh Fevicol ka majboot jod hai! (It is a strong bond like that of Fevicol)," he said at the launch of the poll campaign. "The alliance is impenetrable...Some people tried to separate us as they wanted to be in power, but once the alliance was announced, they started retreating," he said. Overcoming their strained ties, the BJP and Shiv Sena had last month announced a seat-sharing pact for the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra. The BJP will contest 25 seats and Shiv Sena 23 of the 48 Lok .
At rally attended by Kanshi Ram's sister, Bhim Army chief says will fight against Modi in Varanasi
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Friday addressed a rally with BSP founder Kanshi Ram's sister and announced that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Varanasi seat, a move that is likely to upset the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. The Bhim Army, which has been trying to mobilise Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, also told PTI that it will field a candidate against Union minister Smriti Irani and "wherever there's a need of a strong nominee against the BJP". At the rally organised to mark the 85th birth anniversary of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram, Chandrashekhar said he would ensure that PM Modi is not re-elected to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi. "I will challenge Narendra Modi in Varanasi... to protect the Constitution and the rights of Dalits. I do not want to become an MP or MLA. Had that been the case, I would have chosen a reserved seat," he said. "After the prime minister came to know that we are going to challenge him .
Special EC observers hold discussions with JK officials
The three special observers appointed by the Election Commission Friday held discussions with Jammu and Kashmir government officials as part of their exercise to determine when to hold assembly elections in the state. The three observers, Noor Mohammed, Vinod Zutshi and A S Gill, held meetings with officials of the state government here this morning, officials said. The special observers also met a delegation of state unit of the Janata Dal (United), the officials said. They reached here Thursday to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in a real-time basis to enable the poll panel to take a call on holding the state assembly elections. They interacted with political parties soon after their arrival in the summer capital of the state. The observers later flew to Jammu, the winter capital of the state, for holding similar interactions with representatives of political parties and officials. While announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday, the poll panel had said
Defence Ministry plans to buy 10 lakh hand grenades for combat troops
New Delhi [India], March 15 (ANI): At a time when tensions with Pakistan are heightened, the Defence Ministry is likely to consider a proposal to buy 10 lakh multi-mode hand grenades for the Indian Army under the 'Make in India' project in the military sector."A proposal for buying 10 lakh hand grenades from an Indian firm would be considered by the Defence Ministry at a high-level meeting to be chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman this week," government sources told ANI.The more than Rs 500 crore proposal is critical as the government has already taken care of the main personal weapon requirements of the Army soldiers by signing two contracts for modern rifles.In the first case, a contract worth over Rs 700 crore for around 75,000 Sig Sauer assault rifles from an American firm has been signed while a joint venture has been formed with Russia to manufacture 7.5 lakh modern AK-203 assault rifles.The project for acquiring new hand grenades is required for the replacement of ...
SC seeks EC reply on plea by 21 opposition leaders for verification of 50 pc VVPAT slips
The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear the plea of 21 opposition leaders, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, seeking that VVPAT slips of at least 50 per cent of voting machines in each assembly constituency be checked randomly in the Lok Sabha elections. The leaders from six national and 15 regional parties, claiming to represent 70-75 per cent of the population, have also sought the setting aside of the Election Commission of India (EC) guideline on random verification of one assembly seat. A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that notice be issued to the EC, and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) should depute an officer to assist the court in the matter. The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, posted the matter for further hearing on March 25 and asked the ECI to file its reply in two weeks. The parties include the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI (Marxist), CPI, Trinamool Congress, ...
PPA chairman rules out any pre-poll alliance
Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) chairman Kamen Ringu Friday said the party will fight the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections alone and dismissed claims made by Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Takam Sanjoy of forging a pre-poll alliance with the PPA. Ringu said the PPA president Kahfa Bengia and secretary general Kaling Jerang had casual discussions with the Congress which was not "endorsed" by the party. "We have temporarily suspended them for hobnobbing with the Congress on seat sharing without the knowledge of the partys executive body. We will not forge any alliance with any national political parties but will contest the polls alone keeping our regional ideology intact," Ringu said. Election to the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly and the two Lok Sabha seats in the state will be held on April 11. He told reporters here that "the PPA with regional identity will go alone to contest in all the 60 Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats in the state and
Germany says up to Britain to propose Brexit solution to EU
Germany on Friday said the ball remained in Britain's court to propose a viable exit plan from the European Union as the Brexit deadline looms. Ahead of a crunch summit next week, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said Berlin welcomed the British parliament's vote on Wednesday against a no-deal Brexit. "Nevertheless it is clear that the next steps, the next proposal on how to move forward must come from Britain," he told reporters. Seibert stressed it was in "no one's interest" for London to crash out of the EU on March 29 without an agreement on the future relationship with the bloc. He noted that the EU summit on March 21-22 in Brussels "will of course deal with the (Brexit) issue intensively". But after British MPs on Thursday voted to ask the EU to delay Brexit, Seibert said any such request would have to be formally submitted to the other 27 member states, debated and decided on. "I do not want to pre-empt those talks," he said. EU leaders have repeatedly ...
'BJP won't mind if I have coffee with Moon Moon'
BJP's MP from Asansol Babul Supriyo on Friday said that his party would not mind if he goes for a cup of coffee with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from his constituency, actor Moon Moon Sen.
Sajad Lone condemns targeting of political workers in Kashmir
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone Friday condemned targeting of political workers in two separate incidents in south Kashmir and asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure that perpetrators of these attacks are brought to justice. A 40-year-old man was shot dead by terrorists late on Thursday night at Gulzarpora in Pulwama district, while a National Conference worker was shot at and injured in Anantnag district. "Yet again political workers are being targeted. The targeting of NC worker in Bijbehara is not only condemnable but also an appeal for introspection. Nothing has been achieved by killing political workers in the last three decades but adding to the army of orphans and widows," Lone said.
Now Shashi Tharoor's aunt, uncle join BJP
A day after Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan joined the BJP, Thiruvananthapuram Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor's aunt and her husband took membership of the BJP here on Friday.
Siddaramaiah wants Rahul to contest LS polls from Karnataka
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the Karnataka Congress wants party president Rahul Gandhi to contest the coming Lok Sabha polls from the southern state. Calling Gandhi the "next Prime Minister of India", the Congress Legislature Party leader recalled his grandmother Indira Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Karnataka in the past. "Karnataka has always supported & encouraged @INCIndia leaders. It has been proved in case of Smt. Indira ji & Smt. Sonia ji. We also want our next Prime Minister of India Shri. @RahulGandhi to contest from Karnataka & herald new developmental paradigm. #RaGaFromKarnataka," Siddaramaiah said in a tweet. While Indira Gandhi had scripted her political comeback from Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka by winning the Lok Sabha bypolls in 1978, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi had contested and won from Ballari in 1999, trouncing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sushma ...